


Concerning Satyrs

by blind_bombshell



Series: Auntie Crickette's Bedtime Stories [3]
Category: Hannibal Extended Universe - Fandom, Madancy Multiverse - Fandom, Mænd & høns | Men & Chicken (2015)
Genre: BabyBullFest, Be Careful What You Wish For, Declarations Of Love, Developing Friendships, Gen, Just wee little darlings, Kid Fic, THEY'RE SERIOUSLY BABIES OK, This wouldn't be half as good without help, crybaby bull is a crybaby, fairytale, living in the forest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-31
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-07 10:49:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11057394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blind_bombshell/pseuds/blind_bombshell
Summary: A rundown of satyr culture with a parent-to-parent talk and Elias cries.Chapter 2 of the Inquisitve Satyr and Crybaby Bull series.





	Concerning Satyrs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CamilleFlyingRotten](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=CamilleFlyingRotten).



> Thank you to Knight & AK for reading this and telling me how to make it better ❤
> 
> Shout-out to Camille who has done this thing to my brain where I think 90% of her ideas are BRILLIANT ideas and I should write them ❤

Once upon a time, in a lush green forest far away, in a clearing surrounded by trees, whose branches provided shelter from harsh sun and rain, lived a community of satyrs. They lived in the foothills the mountain, near enough to a prairie so that at night, they could lie in the long grass with their children and tell the stories of the stars. Near the clearing was a river that led all through the valley filled with various creatures. Some were smooth above their hips and walked on their hind legs, their front limbs more useful for grasping things, and some walked on all fours.

 

There were not many in the valley, or the lands beyond, who knew that satyrs were amongst the most understanding and patient of creatures who resided in the forest. Satyrs were curious creatures, of course, but also cautious. They were vegetarian, and, as they were not usually prey, they had more freedom than most creatures and made alliances with the valley’s many communities. Satyrs were eager to teach others their ways,  _ if _ it’s an exchange of knowledge. Satyrs were not very fond of giving information without receiving some in return. 

 

If a satyr found a “stray” in distress, they would care for them and return them from whence they came. If, however, the “stray” they found is in distress due to their herd, the satyr would then welcome them into their fold. Satyrs were not rough-living creatures, so the newly-adopted member was unlikely to “stray” again from their new home. 

 

Satyr herds were mostly matriarchal. This is mostly due to the rut season causing the young bucks (regardless of nethers) to perform greater feats of physical endurance, foolhardy stunts, and even physical altercations, despite their peaceful nature. Clearer, cooler heads of the elder mares would be called upon in times of difficulty, to avoid favoritism and rash behavior.

 

Thus satyrs, by nature and through their alliances, were more tolerant of interspecies bonds – both filial and romantic. Therefore, it wasn't uncommon for a satyr to raise young that was not their own offspring or to pairbond with someone who wasn't interested in rutting - or even if they were not a satyr at all! They believed every creature had their perfect complement, and that the perfect complement might come from somewhere outside their herd. This has created a fascinating dynamic where adoption is normalized and pairbonds created out of strong feelings of kinmanship, rather than a need for procreation, has allowed for not only strong inter-herd relations but also strong familial bonds where children are taken care of by those who wish to care for them. 

 

Every member of the herd had their responsibilities. The primary concern of each satyr herd was to care for the young. There were, of course, chores that did not involve children and were regarded as of equal importance. There were foragers, farmers, and teachers; diplomats and inventors; those who tend to the sick and to the frail and train children. Everyone worked together, with the most stubborn and aggressive responsible for the security and protection of the herd and the more delicate and passive allowed to find their joys in weaving and horticultural pursuits.

 

With the sweet, though, came the sour. It was very easy to become complacent when you're seldom threatened, despite your size. Satyrs were never on time, because time had no meaning to a satyr. They only have Light and Dark, when all other creatures had daybreaks and half-days. They would arrive leave whenever they wanted. (Many lost their tempers and senses attempting to make reason of when a satyr will arrive.) Additionally, these creatures could be, in the most delicate sense, more interested in their mate than their chores – though it should also be noted that these chores would always be done by dusk – as would their mate, if they had a sexual relationship.

 

 

 

So, when a plucky young satyr decided his new best friend was a minotaur, the members of the herd barely batted an eyelash. They fitted in that odd way that didn’t make sense until it does. The overly precocious “goat” and the sullen, reactive “bull” were rarely seen without the other after their chance meeting in the woods that flaxen-colored summer day.

 

Of course, this wasn’t immediately the case. After all, minotaurs were known for being distrustful of and needlessly aggressive to strangers. And when satyrs were offended, their first instinct would be to parry the insult and flip it on its side, a gesture designed to defuse the situation and put them on equal footing with the person who offended them… The difference in temperament led to a rather spiky initial confrontation with Elias’ father.

 

“What did you say to me, youngling?”

 

Adam’s father put his hands up in what he hoped was a placating manner, but a small smirk lingered upon his lips. “Again, I assure you, I am not a youngling, simply slighter than yourself. I am the father of this kid, Adam, as you see beside me. He has taken a shine to your… offspring –“

 

“Elias,” Elias’ father seemed to increase in size. Adam could hear the (giant, to him) bull’s sinews tightening and expanding like a tree’s branch separating from the trunk. Adam felt his throat constrict painfully; his heart telling him he was on the precipice of something great and dangerous and  _ important _ .

 

Adam’s father put a reassuring hand on his son’s shoulder in a sign of solidarity. “Oh, have we returned him to the wrong – “

 

“I am his guardian.”

 

Adam’s father grinned, “Excellent! Now, as the boys rather like each other, we are hoping they could share time together. We will look after him, of course –“

 

Elias’ father frowned deeply. “You think he is not taken care of?”

 

Adam’s face fell, though his father behaved as if nothing had happened, “No! Nothing of the sort. I’m saying he wants to spend more time with Adam, and Adam with him. He will be safe with our herd.”

 

“He is safe with  _ our _ herd,” Elias’ father snorted loudly, causing Adam to take a step back in alarm. The big bull rumbled on, “He should be with his kin. He has Gabriel to look after him. And this one,” he gestured to Adam, “is too weak to be in the prairie. They’ll stomp him into paste as soon as look at him, so will Elias.”

 

“Be reasonable, Bull, they spent all afternoon together and had a great day of it. Did any of your herd go to look for him? Did you or Gabriel?”

 

“See here, lesser creature, take your spawn out of here before we –“

 

“Hans naven er  _ Adam _ , far,” Elias wailed, startling everyone who had quite forgotten he was even there, “Jeg kender ham ikke, men jek elsker ham.  _ I won’t hurt him.”  _ Elias’ face was awash with tears and snot, and at his plaintive cry, Adam broke free of his father and pounced into Elias’ arms.

 

Adam’s and Elias’ fathers sighed simultaneously, one out of relief and the other in resignation. The argument was moot. The boys wouldn’t be separated now, anyone with an ounce of salt in their body could see that. The giant bull wiped a hand over his face, murmuring something about already having a bull and an owl, and now a goat on his shoulders. He reached a hand to Adam’s father. “They call me Agnarr, for the awe and terror of a warrior’s sword edge.”

 

Adam’s father shook his hand, smiling softly. Adam was cooing nonsense to Elias whose tears seemed to be abating, his hands holding and petting Adam’s flanks like he was impossibly precious and easy to bruise. “I am Gareth, for gentleness.”

 

“Af jævla kursus,” Agnarr rumbled under his breath, both endeared and terrified for his son. Already ostracized from the other calves for being weaker than most and having a sirin for a brother, he couldn’t imagine the abuse his Elias would endure for having a satyr for a friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Translations: Elias says “His name is Adam, dad. I don’t know him, but I love him.”  
> Agnarr says “Of damn course” because I don’t know the Danish word for “Fucking” 
> 
> "Sirin" are creatures with heads and chests of humans but the rest of them look like owls - the only references I've found were of female-bodied creatures but I thought it wouldn't hurt to have male-bodied counterparts. 
> 
> This started out like a homage to JRR Tolkien/Peter Jackson's "Concerning Hobbits" and then Agnarr was like, "no son of MINE will be around such a tiny creature - he'll crush him omgpls he's already teased enough for having a sirin for a brother!" and then this happened. I feel like I should apologize, but I won't. 
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
